We have a couple of Aldis in the area and have shopped at them many many years. Have one K-Mart left. Ikea came to St. Louis a few years ago but haven't been. No Costcos around like you all talk about.

Aldis really has some nice stuff. Some of the items we aren't fans of but that is with every store.

Im not a fan of Aldi. Although they have the best guacamole around. My cleaner adores their cleaning products and they ARE (here at least) 50% or less than the regular branded items. Im also a fan of their dishwasher tablets.
I hate going though so when I go I get enough to last a few months. I have been known to send Luke in just to pick up the guacamole.

I like some of Aldi's items. Yes, the gluten free items are good but not always available at our store. The gluten free Cheddar Biscuit Mix to fantastic. Their fresh fruit and veggies are terrible. I really think the delivery person is giving them another stores old stuff. I do not buy it now.

I do get their frozen Mussels. I love them and the price is better than any other store. We buy all our Almond Milk from them. Fresher than Walmart and the price is a lot less. I have been trying some of their meats if I can be sure it is gluten free and not injected with extra water/broth.

missjane - We have one Kmart left, no Costco, but a Sams, no IKEA (that's in Orlando), and we have Whole Foods coming soon. Our town has two Aldi. The one is just up the road. The other is across town.

Tanya - I haven't tried dishwashing tabs yet ... and yes! The guac!

ahorsesoul - Oh yes the gf cheddar biscuits! Thankfully our veggies are good. At first I didn't care for the fact they came in bags of veggies, but then I started appreciate having a few more pieces of produce. And we love the price and taste of the almond or/coconut milk. I don't get meat or dairy at Walmart. We have a grocery store here called Publix. I go there if I can't get something at Aldi.

Not sure if you guys have the same options with dishwasher tablets as we do. But I do get Aldi's premium ones rather than their regular. They are still 60% cheaper than other brands- even when they are on sale.

We had an Aldi open up about 4 years ago. I like it for their German food that usually shows up in October. Though we pass on their German chocolates and cookies due to allergies. Their produce prices are fantastic compared to our local grocery store. I don't think I've ever seen dishwasher soap or cleaning products there. I wonder if it is a regional thing. I'll have to check next time I'm there.

A new Aldi just opened in the town where the Walmart is that I shop at most of the time. I'm not an Aldi fan. I tried it....because so many rave about it....but I don't find what my family needs there, just like Shannon said. Our Sam's Club is in the town where H goes to college, so it's a trip. Kmart and Target are there too. We don't have an IKEA close by....it's near the Airport in Pittsburgh. No Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. We honestly don't have much....just Giant Eagle grocery chain here in town and some locally owned grocers.

Interesting how everyone has different choices in their area. The only meat I buy at Walmart is the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and pre-packaged meats (sausage, bacon, wieners, etc)...occasionally hamburger patties; their fresh meat is too expensive compared to our other grocers'. All our fresh meat, I buy at Sam's (50 miles away in Monroe), a local grocer next to my school, or Super 1, an affiliate of Brookshires.

We have a local grocery here owned by a family. It's been around a long time. They have fresh meat and good prices. They also have a bit of organic, wine, and bulk bins. Poor store is trying to stay around but with Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Earth Origins, and Lucky's ... I don't know. I hope they little guy (store) will stay afloat. They do have a pretty loyal customer base.

Ah well, that's ok. The Earth Fare and Lucky's are newer to us here. Earth Origins bought out a local store a few years back called Mother Earth. I still call it by that. All these stores are like organic health food stores.

We had an Aldi open up down the street from me, literally 2 minutes away, last July. DH and I went there once but I wasn't impressed. I don't like Trader Joe's either (that is about 10 minutes away). We keep saying we will try Aldi again, glad to read what everybody likes to buy there.

We have Sam's almost next door to Aldi, so we buy some staples there. I stay away from Walmart but DH will go and get some items. Not fresh meat though (or rotten, lol), horrible experience one time and I've not done it again.

I only buy mu meat from a local butcher- it is more expensive but the quality is more than worth it.
Im blessed here for shops- we have 2 major supermarket brands in Australia- both are in my local mall and others are within 10 minutes. Target, Kmart, Ikea etc are all close by.